It’s not everyday you get to go to Prom. And it’s not everyday that you get to get your hair and makeup professionally done by a whole team and get to sift through (and get gifted) some of the most amazing dresses from BCBGeneration. Yet, for some lucky girls from Manual Arts Senior High School, that moment was actually a reality last week when they had a full day of pampering at the BCBG Corporate Headquarters. With a little bit of mentoring, prom dress shopping and makeovers, these lucky girls were able to turn their prom fantasies into realities when they got to play dress up with some of the best in the business. With Creative Director of BCBGeneration, Joyce Azria, on-site along with the jcp Salon team, every girl was able to have her very own Cinderella moment. With a finale red carpet runaway show reveal after a full morning of prep and pampering, this feel good day and inspiring initiative not only moved me, but definitely left a lasting impression on these girls for years to come!
Below I had the chance to chat it up with jcp Salon Creative Artistic Director Nick Stenson who gave me all the details about the whole day and tour that kicked off in NYC back in March.
Fashionlaine: Tell me a little bit about today and what we’re doing here.Nick Stenson: Today I’m here with my education team on behalf of JCPenney with TLC to help create all of the looks and finishing touches for the girls from Manual Arts Senior High School as they get ready for prom. We’re going to help create all the different hairstyles and looks they want to see for their big day at Prom. This is really exciting because it’s the last “Say Yes to the Prom” event apart of the tour and we’re ending it here in California as we get ready to launch our first flagship salon in the Glendale Galleria mall. And to be apart of the “Say Yes to the Dress” tour is really exciting. This is our 6th one that we’ve done, and to see the smiles on the girls’ faces and to watch it all happen and come to life is just incredible.
FL: Have you and your team been traveling to all the stops of this tour?NS: Yes, we’ve been there along the way for each stop. I’ve had the privilege of being at every one of them.
FL: What have been the other stops you guys have gone to?NS: We’ve done New York, Chicago, Denver, Washington, Miami, and now this!
FL: Do the girls come to you with hairstyle visions or is it a collaborative effort?NS: It’s collaborative. Some girls come to us knowing what they want and we go for it. But sometimes they bring their dress and ask us where we think they can go with it. And then we figure out a hairstyle depending on the neckline of the dress. If it’s strapless we might put their hair down, if there’s a high neck on the dress we might do something up, and so on.
FL: What are the trends you’re seeing in hair for summer that you’re incorporating into the hairstyles and looks for today?NS: Braids are still huge and so we’re seeing a lot of that. We’re actually seeing a lot of braids that have been turned into headbands and so we’re taking that and doing it over the head into this boho look. A really loose collapsed texture wave is also very popular right now as well as a more structured bob bun off to the side that’s still really beautiful and romantic. So a lot of versatility and keeping it young and fresh!
What do you think?